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Assessing the effectiveness of teen Mental Health First Aid training on year 9 students in Maltese state secondary schools
Get PDFTeen Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) was developed in 2012 in Australia (Wilcox et al., 2023) and is a school-based universal mental health intervention aiming to increase student supportive behaviours towards peers, mental health literacy and beliefs about help (Hart, et al, 2018). In Malta, a three-year project was initiated by the Mental Health Commissioner, Richmond Foundation (n.d.), and the Ministry for Education, Sports, Youth, Research, and Innovation (MEYR) to train all Year 9 (Y9) students in Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) during the scholastic years 2022 to 2025. In the second scholastic year of implementation (2023-2024), training was given to 2450 Y9 students (13-14-year-olds). This paper presents the results of baseline and post-training surveys completed by 352 and 335 students in four state schools in Malta during the scholastic year 2023-2024. Data collection for the baseline survey took place two weeks prior to the training, whilst the post-training survey was processed up to one month following training completion. Results indicate that tMHFA has a significant and positive impact on students, notably improving their mental health literacy. The training showed promising results in improved knowledge, attitudes, and confidence in peer support, suggesting potential implications for policy and practice. The data also highlight the need for educational initiatives to reduce stigma and enhance comprehensive mental health literacy.peer-reviewe
Cosmopolitan spirituality in Mediterranean Catholic religious sites : the case of St John’s Co-Cathedral, Malta
Get PDFThe restoration of Catholic religious sites often concerns the materiality of both ‘container’ and ‘content’. More often
than not, the original scope, function, and purpose are no longer understood, with knowledge of these aspects
potentially lost throughout the years. Indeed, rather than the multi-sensory experience that Catholic religious sites
naturally promote, whereby artworks are activated by ritual, aesthetics become the defining value that shapes the
experiential dimension of these sites.
As Catholic religious sites become increasingly accessible to cosmopolitan audiences, the understanding of
Catholic heritage becomes increasingly limited. As space and content are neutralised and detached from original
function and purpose, the distinction between a Catholic church and a museum becomes increasingly blurred.
This presents a greater challenge for non-Catholic visitors, who are placed at a disadvantage when accessing what
can be described as the Catholic scenography of ritual, let alone comprehending the purpose of that scenography
as a backdrop for a multisensory, albeit often historicized, experience of faith.
This paper explores possible ways of engaging with Catholic heritage sites by evoking the multisensory experiences
for which these architectural structures and their artistic contents were initially designed. Using St John’s Co Cathedral as a case study, I propose a framework that broadly identifies forms of activation intended at ‘restoring’
the public’s understanding of the original functions and purposes of Catholic religious sites.peer-reviewe
The future of triage in emergency care : findings from a cognitive task analysis study
Get PDFTriage in Emergency Departments is a complex, high-stakes process that relies heavily on rapid decision-making under conditions of uncertainty, time pressure, and information gaps. This paper explores how digital technologies, particularly data-driven Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS), can augment triage decision-making to improve patient safety, operational efficiency, and clinical outcomes. Using Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA), the study examines the cognitive demands faced by triage nurses, the strategies they employ, potential sources of error, and design recommendations for future CDSS. Findings are organised into a cognitive demands table, identifying key areas where digital support can enhance clinical practice, such as automated priority suggestions, predictive resource allocation, real-time translation tools, and pattern recognition systems. The paper envisions a future where intelligent, adaptive CDSS integrated with real-time patient data, wearable technologies, and predictive analytics transform triage from a reactive to a proactive system. This paper also highlights critical considerations, including the risk of deskilling, biases, and trust in data-driven recommendations. Ultimately, the future of triage resides in systems developed from the ground up with direct input from triage nurses, thereby ensuring that technological innovations genuinely align with clinical realities. These systems should aspire to augment, rather than supplant, human expertise, thereby fostering a patient-centred, anticipatory, and resilient emergency care environment.peer-reviewe
Pandora's labyrinth : the Hellraiser puzzle box
Get PDFThis essay will focus on a case study, a particular fictional game that has given rise to variants across both literature and film: the Hellraiser puzzle box. We focus on Clive Barker’s short story The Hellbound Heart and two films from the film franchise: the 1987 Hellraiser and its reboot, the 2022 Hellraiser, which fleshes out (pun intended) the mythos. In addition to dis-cussing the overt horror genre framing and themes through the lenses of literary analysis and film studies, we also propose an analogy with the literary genre that most notably straddles the same nexus of body-puzzle-space, closely intertwining the three: that of detective fiction. Its similarities with and differences from the Hellraiser puzzle box will be used to elaborate the interpretation of its design, functioning, and (il?)logic.peer-reviewe
Primary school teachers’ perceptions towards the use of generative AI in teaching using lesson study
Get PDFPurpose – The research, carried out with three lesson study teams in two primary schools in Malta, focuses on teachers’ changing perceptions of using Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in teaching using lesson study. The study seeks to discern how teachers’ interpretation and judgement towards the use of AI may lead them to its future integration in teaching. Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents a multiple-case case study for an in-depth analysis of teachers’ perceptions towards the employment of AI in formal educational settings. Data, from email interviews with the three teachers teaching the lessons and detailed reports of each lesson study group, are analysed using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a theoretical lens. Findings – Teachers’ use of GenAI in teaching using lesson study positively enhanced their perceptions and attitudes towards AI. It boosted their agency instigating them to intentionally see how to learn more about its employment to improve students’ learning experiences. Originality/value – Using the TAM to examine teachers’ perceptions of using GenAI in teaching using lesson study, this research offers insights into teachers’ attitudes towards emerging technologies. It also provides implications for the design of professional development programmes through the integration of GenAI for teacher support.peer-reviewe
Cocreating value through open circular innovation strategies : a results‐driven work plan and future research avenues
No full textFor the time being, there is limited research focused on open innovation approaches that promote the development and growth of stakeholder-driven circular economy models. This article addresses this knowledge gap. Its objectives are threefold: Firstly, it describes key elements of open innovation and circular value cocreation. Secondly, it utilizes the findings from a comprehensive systematic review to identify opportunities and challenges related to the open circular innovation paradigm. Thirdly, it presents theoretical implications and an action plan, alongside future research avenues, that highlight the importance of engaging in collaborative behaviors with stakeholders. It emphasizes a cocreation culture that encourages the sharing of resources, competencies, and capabilities, while safeguarding the organizations' intellectual properties. Such practices aim to foster coupled innovation and support circular economy strategies like resource recovery, reverse logistics, and industrial symbiosis, among others. Unlike many other articles, this contribution clearly specifies that there is scope for practitioners to develop circular economy ecosystems that increase the practitioners' bottom lines, while reducing their environmental impacts.peer-reviewe
Virtual escapes : a pedagogical strategy for developing emotional competence in nursing students
Get PDFEmotional competence, the ability to manage interpersonal relationships through understanding one’s and others’ emotions,
encompasses two dimensions: cognitive and behavioral. In nursing practice, the combination of these dimensions allows for
better performance in highly complex clinical situations. Nursing education does not always emphasize these competences.
This pilot study explored the potential of an escape room, a Serious Games (SGs) prototype with virtual reality (VR), as a
pedagogical strategy for eliciting emotions in a safe learning environment. Participants’ immersion in the game provided an
opportunity to identify, manage, and process emotions. Data were gathered by a questionnaire and by observation of performance.
The findings revealed that participants felt various emotions (n=51) while playing the game. The least frequent
reported emotions were hope, shame, and contempt. Admiration, pride, satisfaction, and fear were the most frequently
reported emotions. These findings suggest that using a SGs prototype with VR as a pedagogical tool holds significant potential
in emotion elicitation in a safe learning environment, implying its value as a construct of emotional competence. Further
research to verify educational value is recommended.peer-reviewe
Advancing CALL : New research agendas - EUROCALL 2025 Short Papers
Get PDFThe teaching and learning ofLless Commonly Taught Languages (LCTLs) present distinct challenges and opportunities that differ significantly from those in more commonly taught language environments. This paper explores how advances in Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and emerging research methodologies can support learner engagement across a number of LCTL contexts in primary education and higher education settings internationally. The three case studies relating to integration of CALL in primary education settings explore the teaching and learning of both the Irish language and the Japanese language in Ireland. The teaching and learning of Irish, Maltese and Jamaican Creole at higher education insititutions provide a further three case studies which inform CALL research methodologies and practice. The collective outcomes of the featured case studies inform the exploration of key opportunities and challenges which face LCTL educators and learners across global learning contexts. It is argued that while AI and cutting-edge tools offer clear potential (Mohsen et al., 2024), person-centred, context-sensitive methodologies remain essential to support effective CALL integration in specific settings (O’Toole, 2023).peer-reviewe
Proceedings of Academy of Marketing 2025 annual conference and doctoral colloquium : saints and scholars
No full textNative advertisements, a relatively new form of advertising, have gained significant interest f rom organisations
and marketing practitioners due to their ability to seamlessly blend with the non-paid content of media platforms,
potentially reducing interference and disruption. Motivated by this rapid growth, this paper explores the factors influencing the perceived advertising value of fast-food native advertisements and examines how advertising value
impacts customers’ attitudes.peer-reviewe
Integrating multimorbidity education into undergraduate medical curriculum : a systematic review
Get PDFMultimorbidity is becoming highly prevalent across the globe. Current medical curricula predominantly focus on single-disease management, leaving future physicians underprepared to provide patient-centred care to address the multimorbidity epidemic. Through a systematic review, this short communication identified the current state of multimorbidity education in medical curricula and evaluated existing educational approaches. A narrative systematic review (CRD42024585500) of studies meeting stringent inclusion criteria focusing on multimorbidity education was conducted. The review found limited evidence regarding the integration and effectiveness of current educational approaches. Although multimorbidity education was associated with improved self-reported student confidence, there was a notable absence of structured, formal teaching frameworks, with education primarily occurring through informal clinical exposure. This systematic review discovered the absence of an evidence base on structured, validated teaching methods that are urgently needed to better prepare future physicians to manage patients with multimorbidity effectively.peer-reviewe